The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-08-12
For County Surveyor.
THOMAS E. CATHCART.
Our Public Roads.

Every one interested in the material pro-
gress OF Hartford county must feel encourag-
cd by the intelligent ard practical interest
now being taken in the improvement of our
public road service by the Deer Creek, Fall
ston and wilma Farmers Clubs. Everybody
is interested in good roads, but what is every
body's business is likely to be nobody's
business. Our County Commissioners,
whose duty it is TO look after the public roads,
do the best they can, under all the circum-
stances, but it is, perhaps unreasonable 10
expect them to inaugurate any decided
changes in the road system Of the county,
unless they are confident of being sustained
by the public, whose servants they are. A
demand for an improved public road service,
therefore, must come from the people them
selves, and the farmers clubs of the county,
being non-partisan organizations, are the
proper sources from which movement of
this kind should cmanate, since they repre-
sent, in greater or less degree the farming
aud business interests most concerned in hav.
ing good roads.
The Deer Creek club, at its last meeting,
discussed the subject in an intelligent way
and their deliberations took practical form
by the appointment Of committee to formu-
late plan acceptable not only to the taxpay
crs, but also to the County Commissioners,
in whose hands is vested full authority and
power to make any changes ofsystem they
may desire to secure better roads.
One of the plans suggested at the meeting
referred 10 was the appointment ola compe-
tent road engineer to have general supervi-
sion, under the County Commissioners, of
repairs to the public roads. This duty, it
was suggested, could be entrusted 10 the
County Surveyor, and il the salary offered
were sufficient suitable man could be found
for the place. The roads could be mended
by the most competent persons living along
them, the service to be compulsory and under
the direction of sub-supervisors answerable
to the County Surveyor or Road Engineer.
The latter, it was also suggested, should have
under him n gang of trained road-menders,
with stone crushers and road machines, for
use in emergencies or for special duty where
no suitable persons can be found TO repair
certain roads.
1t is believed that The road-money, under
properly directed supervision, could be made
more effective than it is under the present
arrangement, while the new system need not
deprive farmers of working out portion of
their tax bills on the public roads.
The above is only an imperfect outline of
some of the suggestions made at the meeting
of the Deer Creek Club. AS soon as the
committee have decided upon definite plan
it will be submitted to the other farmers
clubs and afterwards to the public. If it
should prove acceptable to majority of tax
payers aud promise to be public benefit,
the County Commissioners would scarcely
refuse to give it trial.
The roads Of Hartford county have been
greatly improved within the last twenty-five
years, but the improvement is not at all COM
mensuratc with the progress of Hartford
county in other directions. Changes of any
kind in old-established customs, we know,
should be made with the utmost care, but as
the best methods and appliances used in
farming quarter of century ago would
bring speedy ruin to the farmer OF to-day, SO
likewise system which served good pur-
pose in the earlier stage of our county might
be replaced with advantage by plan more
in accordance with the needs of the pr esent
age of progress.